A Kitchener thrift store that helps survivors of domestic violence is picking up the pieces, yet again, after they were broken into for the third time this year.
Retail Therapy KW Thrift and Consign was founded in 2022 as a way of supporting survivors through donated working items of clothing, furniture and household items. All of its energy goes into helping local intimate partner violence survivors.
That’s why founder and executive director Amanda Kroetsch finds it so frustrating.
“It honestly felt like, here we go again,” Kroetsch said. “The words I’ve been using have been helpless and hopeless… not much you can do.”
Kroetsch said the most recent break-in happened on Thursday, Dec. 19 around 5 a.m. at the store on Victoria Street South near Park Street. Security footage showed a person wearing a hoodie and mask going through items and taking them.
“We discovered that they had come in through the window and, in the typical way, headed over to the front counter, looked for our cash box,” said Kroetsch.
Staff noted that there was a laptop, some cash and bags of items missing.
Kroetsch said that if the last two break-ins taught them anything, it was to have better surveillance footage, which Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) have released in an attempt to find the thief.
A spokesperson from WRPS confirmed that while they’re trying to find the person responsible for the most recent break-in, they’re still investigating the first two at that location.
The first break-in happened in April, when someone stole around $5,000 in electronics and cash. The second was in August, when cash and donations were stolen. In all three instances, the thieves came through the window.
Kroetsch says they’re one step away from putting bars up on the windows, which they want to avoid to keep the space feeling safe and inviting for people.
“So instead we’re going to pivot and we’re going to focus on finding a new location,” she said.
A police spokesperson told CBC News in an email they will continue to investigate the three break-ins and will support the business as they “recognize the impact an act like this may have.”
With non-profits and charities, Kroetsch says, there’s sometimes a feeling of being “left behind when it comes to seriousness.”
She said that they’ve been wanting to fundraise for a new, bigger and more accessible location for a while.
“There are things in the game plan but keep getting set aside because we have to then fundraise to recover from robberies,” she said.
A survivor of domestic violence herself, Kroetsch has dedicated this charity to empowering people coming from similar situations. She said that the entire premise of this organization is to help those in need and she has no doubt that those stealing are, in fact, in need.
Kroetsch says the store relies on sales to pay for the expenses to run the organization. They’re currently running a financial fundraiser on their website and social media, and have found a donor willing to match up to $6,000 in donations. The store is now in the process of recovery.
“I do feel a sense of compassion because, you know, you must really be in need to steal from a charity thrift,” she said. “But who knows what goes through their mind.”